by Michael Hobson
The Toronto Blue Jays have holes in their pitching staff. This is certainly not a new statement; it’s actually been the statement uttered by followers of the team for years, and so far very little has been done about it. With the Blue Jays on the periphery of the playoff race and possessing baseball’s best offence those pitching holes are now glaring and need to be addressed—immediately.
As this season began I ... Read More …

by Michael Hobson
There is little doubt the Toronto Blue Jays will be acquiring an established pitcher or pitchers by the July 31 trade deadline. The only question was whether it would be a starter or a reliever—or both, but the move of Aaron Sanchez to the bullpen indicates that the Jays believe the trade market will be flush with starters but bereft of closers.
The same names have been attached to the Blue Jays ... Read More …

Tristan Thompson of the Cleveland Cavaliers (left) vies for a loose ball against Golden State Warriors defenders during the NBA Final in June. (Frederic J. Brown, AFP/Getty Images)

By Michael Hobson
Two seasons ago the Cleveland Cavaliers were a lottery team—they had the first overall pick which they used on Andrew Wiggins—and the Toronto Raptors were involved in a tense playoff match with the Brooklyn Nets. Among the two thousand or so fans outside in Jurassic Park watching game seven on the big screen was the Cavs Tristan Thompson. A local boy—he was born and raised in the Toronto suburb of Brampton—Thompson had ... Read More …

Toronto Blue Jays southpaw Mark Buehrle has performed like an ace but in reality, and despite his $19-million salary, is no more than a mid-rotation starter. (Elise Amendola, Associated Press)

By Michael Hobson
The Toronto Blue Jays management is aware that unlike many professional sports teams they cannot count on the excitement of a pennant race to sway ownership into spending money. There is no interest at Rogers Communications headquarters in ERA or WHIP or OPS, there is interest only in ROI—Return On Investment.
When General Manager Alex Anthopoulos went to President Paul Beeston in November 2012 with the parameters of the Miami Marlins deal ... Read More …

By Michael Hobson
By forming their own D-League franchise the Toronto Raptors have not only created an opportunity for their youngsters to develop but they have also created an avenue for Canadian basketballers to realize their dreams of playing professional ball, and perhaps—if lightning ever struck that bottle—a chance to play in the NBA. The team based out of Mississauga will be the destination for every talented ballplayer across the country and could be, if ... Read More …

Utah’s Delon Wright is perhaps the best defender of the available point guards in this year’s NBA draft, but is relatively thin at 180 pounds. (Ronald Martinez, Getty Images)

By Michael Hobson
There is little doubt the Toronto Raptors need to improve a defence that ranked in the top third in the league two years ago but fell into the bottom third last year. Free agency will be one avenue the Raptors can take to sign a player or players who fit their new mantra; trades can be made to augment their roster and of course the draft will add a serviceable rookie. But ... Read More …

Toronto Blue Jays pinch runner Ezequiel Carrera celebrates with teammate Dioner Navarro after scoring on Navarro's 11th-inning sacrifice fly against the New York Mets in New York on Monday. (Kathy Willens, Associated Press)

By Michael Hobson
In the previous two years the Toronto Blue Jays experienced long winning streaks—eleven games in 2013 and nine last season—and in both years the Jays were unable to sustain the positive energy built up during those streaks. This year may be different as the line-up is much deeper but there are still holes that need to be filled if the team wants maintain its current pace.
This is as dominating a line-up ... Read More …

by Michael Hobson
Toronto Blue Jays national television broadcaster Buck Martinez described Josh Donaldson’s three run game winning home run against Chicago closer David Robertson as a season changing blow. The next night the Blue Jays continued to fail when hitting with runners in scoring position and lost to the White Sox. The team then went to Minnesota where it played perhaps its two worst games. Season changing blow? Not quite.
However, exactly one week ... Read More …

Blue Jays reliever Brett Cecil in action earlier this season. The Jays' bullpen has the fewest number of saves in Major League Baseball. (Tom Szczerbowski, Getty Images)

By Michael Hobson
The Toronto Blue Jays have scored more runs than any team in the American League. They have also surrendered more runs than any other team which would lead even casual observers to conclude that pitching is at the heart of the team’s struggles. But the way the club loses games points to issues that are far deeper.
According to the expanded standings the Blue Jays, because of their positive run differential, should ... Read More …

Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos is on the hot seat in Toronto. (Frank Gunn, Canadian Press)

By Michael Hobson
Former Toronto Blue Jays General Manager J.P. Ricciardi believed in the drafting and hoarding of young pitching and going out and acquiring position players. The Jays present GM Alex Anthopoulos has followed the same criteria. The flaw in both of their plans is the lack of balance in both the pitching staffs and the line-up. A failure to construct a competitive roster cost Ricciardi his job and the same may befall his ... Read More …

by Michael Hobson
It is readily acknowledged by all those involved in the NHL that the game is much faster than it was twenty years ago. Players are bigger, faster and the elimination of the red line has contributed to a quicker product. The problem lies in the fact that the players may be faster but the skill level needed to produce offence has not increased at the same pace.
“The athletes today are better ... Read More …

Toronto Blue Jays guest instructor Carlos Delgado (left) gestures as he talks to Blue Jays hitting coach Brook Jacoby in the dugout during a spring training game in March. The Major League Baseball umpires' union says the 14-game suspension imposed on Toronto hitting coach Jacoby shows there is a ‘clear line’ that cannot be crossed. (Kathy Willens, Canadian Press)

By Michael Hobson
Whenever a dispute arises between parties it is generally assumed that the truth lies in between; that both parties will lean heavily on their side of the argument with a tendency to embellish. But for professional sports leagues that standard does not exist when it comes to their game officials; their standard is simple—game officials are right and everyone else is wrong.
The NHL recently supported its game official—Brad Watson—in a dispute ... Read More …

By Michael Hobson
The evidence seems damning. A player, with a video and a league official to support him, claims that an NHL referee overstepped his boundary and chose a personal agenda over the integrity of the game. During the investigation if the league official supports the player’s claim then the NHL has a serious issue—fortunately for them it’s an investigation that can be conducted behind closed doors—but it is an issue that could, if ... Read More …

Toronto Raptors star Kyle Lowry sits on the bench during a timeout in the second half of the Raptors’ Game 4 blowout loss to the Washington Wizards on Sunday in Washington, D.C. The Wizards won 125-94 to complete a series sweep. (Alex Brandon, Associated Press)

By Michael Hobson
It was certainly a disappointing end to their season, getting swept by Washington in the first round, but the Toronto Raptors can’t get caught up in the immediate failure and lose sight of the ultimate goal. The Raptors have consistently maintained a message of it being a process—that the team was in development, and one playoff loss, albeit a bad one, should not alter their plan.
In the aftermath of the sweep, ... Read More …

DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors tries to drive around Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards during Game 1 of their NBA first-round playoff series at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Saturday. (Claus Andersen, Getty Images)

By Michael Hobson
They tried too hard. They were too aggressive. They forced plays. They were too excited; too pumped up. They played with too much nervous energy. They weren’t relaxed.
Choose any of the preceding excuses and you would be correct when analyzing the Raptors play in the first game of the playoffs, a home loss to the Washington Wizards. The energy in the building and outside the arena was earth-shattering but unfortunately it ... Read More …

By Michael Hobson
Two weeks before this year’s trade deadline Toronto Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan approached the MLSE board of governors and requested the opportunity to dismantle and rebuild. The request was granted. Shanahan then instructed the Leafs management team to deconstruct the roster. A day after the regular season ended Shanahan deconstructed the management team.
The line of employees must have stretched down the hall outside Shanahan’s office at the Air Canada Centre ... Read More …

Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors drives with the ball against the Washington Wizards during a January NBA game at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. (Ned Dishman, NBAE via Getty Images)

By Michael Hobson
Last season the Chicago Bulls limped into the post-season as the fourth seed and promptly lost in five games to the fifth seeded Washington Wizards. This year the Raptors are also limping into the playoffs and have a projected first round match with the Wizards, another four vs. five. If the Raptors are not healthy they will not beat Washington; if so it will end in disappointing fashion a season that began ... Read More …

By Michael Hobson
Contending teams typically integrate one or two rookies into their line-up, unless it’s the Yankees where rookie is only used as a derogatory term. The Blue Jays look to be entering this season, a supposedly critical season for team management personnel, with as many as six rookies; a positive glimpse into their future but a dangerous game to play in the present.
Dalton Pompey, who will be the starting centerfielder, is 22. ... Read More …

Cleveland’s LeBron James drives against Toronto Raptor Louis Williams. So the Raps’ only hope for getting out of the East in this spring’s playoffs is if James goes down with an injury. (Jason Miller, Getty Images)

By Michael Hobson
I know it’s easy to get caught up in your favourite team’s immediate success—to relish the victories while salivating over possible future glories, but expectations need to be slowed sincethis season will be classified a success if the Toronto Raptors win one playoff round.
For the Raptors to win the conference this year a number of things would have to occur, not the least of which was Lebron James being forced to ... Read More …